When I was younger l loved spooky gothic like stories. Without fail those stories had some creepy children that made me wanna sleep with the lights on. That’s what drew me in at first for this book: the nostalgia. The synopsis made me think of books I used to love and I am grateful to give All the Dead Lie Down a go.

The first chapter had me nervous that this was gonna be a lot darker than planned. I won’t ever stop thinking about the bird, that will probably haunt me. The descriptions of animals and gore really had me squeamish at times. But I will say I thought there was a nice balance of the book staying true to horror but also still being ya. The book was darker than expected but it’s definitely not the darkest ya or horror book I’ve read. Like I said there was a nice balance.

The characters were odd and immediately you feel something is up. I did enjoy that aspect. You never fully knew what to expect because everything just felt weird. The mystery was present because it was hard to tell what was more odd from everything already being being off kilter.

Overall, I did enjoy this read. I did have problems with the flow because it didn’t feel smooth during times. Marin would suddenly talk about the past out of nowhere then you’d go back to the present. That happened quite a bit and it was like random at times. The details weren’t always there and that had me struggling creating any sense of timeline. No complaints about the horror aspects, those were delivered nicely.

The premise behind this book was good. Marin is invited to be a nanny for two young girls in a creepy old house in the middle of nowhere that belongs to her favorite horror author. It comes as no surprise, then, that creepy things keep happening, and its not just the girls pranking her to get her to leave. Something is not right with the house, the area, or the people involved.

I felt like this book had a lot of promise. It was a creepy setting and weird things kept happening. The imagery was good and the author used a wide range of senses in her descriptions, which helped lend realism to the story. Wren had that touch of evil, Thea the sweet innocence, and Evie the collected calm, which was a combination that worked well.

I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would because I had a hard time with Marin. Things kept happening and she would brush it off for weeks until it caught her attention again. We aren't talking little things, but huge, story changing things. Things that a rational person would have been like 'nope, I'm out of here!' I also felt that other than with Thea her relationships with all the other characters in the book were implied rather than built, which made some of the interactions feel forced. The elements of the story didn't feel like they flowed well together, which really downgraded the scary factor in the book.

More like a 3.5 or possibly slightly higher, but not quite a 4. I feel like it relies fairly heavily on the comparison to the Haunting of Bly Manner, but that isn't entirely unjustified. There were moments that felt bleak, spine chilling, and ominous. The house felt claustrophobic and I am pretty much always down for an exploration of a dysfunctional family grieving in their own ways. To me, creepy kids also enhances the eeriness of a haunted house rather than distracts from it, but I could see people not liking that aspect. There were a few pacing issues that honestly made the book drag in some aspects. The beginning and end were thrilling, but the middle felt so much loner than it actually was. There was also a bit of insta-love - which I think makes sense for the YA genre but it isn't something that I particularly enjoy a ton. I really liked it, though, and found the eery, claustrophobic atmosphere to be one of my favorite aspects.

Unnerving, twisty, and atmospheric, ‘All the Dead Lie Down’ by Kyrie McCauley was absolute YA Gothic Horror perfection. Super creepy with great characters and the edge-of-your-seat-tension, I absolutely loved (and was terrified by) this book and highly recommend it!

I had no idea where this book was going to take me, but in hindsight the title should've given me a hint. I liked Marin from the beginning. I was so invested in her and her relationship with Wren and Thea that I almost forgot this book had romance, While I loved seeing Marin and Evie’s romantic relationship develop, I equally enjoyed the friendships she was building with the girls. As well as queer rep, this book also includes anxiety representation. Her anxiety was portrayed perfectly in my opinions and experiences. I very much related to her descriptions of anxiety spirals and panic attacks.

Every time a twist was revealed I was surprised, but the foreshadowing was excellent. Lines that I assumed were just world building turned out to be very relevant later on, and several moments I audibly went "Oh!"
I was a little worried I’d have lingering questions as the end grew closer, but it tied everything together nicely.

Overall, I loved the book and recommend it to anyone who wants a spooky mystery with found family, anxiety rep, and sapphic romance.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but I absolutely fell in love with all the characters! For me, it was the perfect mix of horror, magic, and queer romance. I'm now intrigued to read more from Kyrie McCauley and I can't wait to recommend this book at my library!

I absolutely loved this horror novel laced with gothic vibes! I never knew I would like this eerie tale as much as I did.

Marin Blythe has just lost her mother and is alone, no money and nowhere to go. She is then invited to Lovelace Mansion...the home of her mother's old friend that just so happens to be filled with secrets waiting to be revealed. The mansion is typical for one in a horror movie, creepy groundskeeper, family cemetery, and a dark forest.

As Alice works on her novel, Marin is given the task of looking after two of her three daughters. The third...Marin is hopelessly attracted to. Full of unfolding family secrets, this novel is one that any horror fan will devour.

The characters are very well developed and I love that they all have their own distinct personalities. It allows us to really connect to each one as we move through the story. I really enjoyed Wren and Thea. Their pranks and childish antics made me smile yet as a parent I rolled my eyes at the same time. The detail in the writing is great, not overwhelming but allows you to clearly see and understand what is happening.

The world building was well done, the story taking place in modern times. And as we move through each chapter the suspense keeps building, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. Thankfully there is a good climax to the story at the end. McCauley did a fantastic job at keeping a steady pace through the novel. It did not feel as though it dragged on which can happen when an author is trying to make a large climatic ending.

This is a must read for any horror fan, especially if you are looking into something more YA.

Decent retelling of A Turn of the Screw for modern times. Still very much a haunting story but is able to at least have fun with the concept and be interesting enough to keep my attention throughout the pages.

3.5⭐️

If you are looking for a eerie young adult book to enjoy this summer look no further!

My favorite thing about this book was unwravelling the mystery behind the creepy encounters at Lovelace manor! It was perfectly spooky for those who enjoy a creepy atmosphere, but isn’t overly scary. I also enjoyed the anxiety rep and the queer romance which we always love.

I think the relationships could have been further explored, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ebook in exchange for my review.

All the Dead Lie Down—Kyrie McCauley

Looking for a way to ease the sorrow of her mother’s untimely death, Marin Blythe accepts her mother’s childhood best friend’s invitation to tutor her daughters at Lovelace House. Alice Lovelace, also Marin’s favorite horror novelist, and her three strange daughters—one Marin feels helplessly attractive to—are quick to expose their obsessions with death to Marin. Following soon after are the odd occurrences of random dead animals, burying dolls, and Alice’s temperamental moods wings. As weird as things are, Marin can’t help but feel drawn to the happenings—not to mention the eldest daughter, Evie.

Marin knows Evie is at the heart of the mysteries and is beginning to wonder if she is too. Maybe even what happened to her mother could be connected? Maybe even what happened to her mother could have been because of the Lovelaces?
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Loved this so much!! What a beautiful, ephemeral atmosphere McCauley created! The whole setting of Lovelace is like a gothic wonderland: creepy old house, cemetery, dark woods, a turbulent sea, and best of all: DEAD THINGS! I immediately fell in love with Marin & Evie, the whole Hallowell/Lovelace family dynamic, and all the strange incidents at the house. The family mottos of “memento mori/vivere” were really brought to life when it came to Thea’s “funerals” and also like the weird surprise in the clams! And man, Alice’s madness was a real trip! I was on the edge of my seat at the end, desperate for all the girls to be okay. What an incredibly imaginative retelling of classic horror with a beautifully tender sapphic romance thrown in. This book has everything and so much more. highly recommend and will certainly keep my eye out for its pub date!

I need to pick up more books with gothic horror vibes because I forget how much I love them.

Children can be creepy and Wren and Thea are no exception. I couldn’t wait to see what they were going to do next. This was full of twists that I’m happy to say I did NOT see coming.

I enjoyed the relationship between Marin and Evie even though it felt a little insta-love for me. Good on Marin for not bailing out of that house and Evie cause if this creepy stuff was happening to me? I’d be gone haha.

It has Haunting of Bly Manor/House of Salt and Sorrows vibes. If you enjoyed either of these then this one is for you.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books for this advanced copy.

All the Dead Lie Down has all the plot elements of a classic horror novel that readers will devour. We begin with the lead character, Marin Blythe, who just lost her mother. Marin has no money and no where to go, but then she receives an invitation to a creepy mansion on the coast complete with strange groundskeeper, a family cemetery in the yard, a dark forest, and a plethora of secrets waiting to be revealed.

The owner of the house is Alice Lovelace, a renowned horror novelist herself, who was once best friends with Marin’s mother. She’s invited Marin to look after her young daughters, Wren and Thea, while Alice completes work on her next novel. Mysteries begin to unfold as the two strange girls play pranks on Marin, trying desperately to get her to leave.

Their oldest sister, Evie, soon returns from college to come to Marin’s rescue. There’s chemistry between Evie and Marin, but the history of the house demands their attention. How did Alice’s husband die? Why is Thea burying her dolls in the cemetery? What’s causing the strange wounds on the animals in the forest? Why does Alice disappear for days, locked in her office, only to appear dazed and suffering from headaches?

It’s a dark, fun mystery that will keep the reader guessing and keep the pages turning. It’s obvious McCauley draws her inspiration from such greats as Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson. The book even begins with a quote from Emily Dickinson.

As Marin discovers a dark past that her mother and Alice shared, she helps Evie search for clues to her own sordid past. The haunted family and their haunted house is only the beginning of a fantastic novel that dives deep into family secrets and even the supernatural.

It’s beautiful and poetic at times as Marin and Evie explore matters of the heart. The suspense continues to build with each chapter, culminating to a satisfying climatic ending that will have readers wishing they could read this book again for the very first time. This will be one of the best horror books of the year!

All the Dead Lie Down will be released May 16th from Katherine Tegen Books.

Memento Mori - remember, you must die

Equal parts haunting and beautiful, All the Dead Lie Down is definitely a summer must read.

When Marin Blythe accepts the nanny position for a newly widowed horror writer who lives in a mansion by the sea, she soon realizes there is more to the job than she had originally thought.

I didn't do a lot of research on this book before I picked it up. The cover art was more than enough to have my interest peaked. I was instantly drawn in by the beautifully eerie atmosphere and story. I could see the inspiration being taken from Haunting of Bly Manor and was thrilled by it since Mike Flanagan always produces stories I love.

I would say it was kind of a slow build story, but I never found myself bored with the story. When the finale hit, it hit with a bang and more than made up for the rest of the story.

If you are a fan of timeless gothic horror, this will be a book for you.

If you like gothic horror, then this book is for you. The mansion has all sorts of dark niches, hidden places and secrets. If that interests you; then the author throws in necromancy. There is also the romantic tension between Marin and Evie. The rest of the family has some serious issues that a therapist would have a hard time dealing with. As you read through the pages, you become so engrossed with this family that you cannot help but feel as though you are there in the house, on the island and in the cemetery. The changes that happen from the beginning of the book to the end are both uplifting as well as depressing. This is definitely a 5⭐️ read.

Marin is reeling from the sudden loss of her mother when she receives an unexpected invitation from Alice Lovelace, famed horror writer and her mother's childhood friend. Alice offers Marin a nanny position at Lovelace House, her family's coastal estate in Maine, which Marin gratefully accepts. She soon finds herself caring for Alice's peculiar, precocious young daughters, who initiate her with a series of escalating pranks. And then Alice's oldest daughter, Evie, returns home unexpectedly from boarding school. Marin is drawn to her immediately, despite Evie's reserved nature. But even as she and Evie grow closer, Marin can't escape a feeling of deep disquiet. Like Evie, Lovelace House is full of secrets, and Marin must find a way to unravel them before it's too late.

All the Dead Lie Down is one of those "sprawling ancestral estate, generational curse, destructive secrets" sorts of books that just click all the boxes for me. Comparisons to The Haunting of Bly Manor are completely warranted, but All the Dead Lie Down doesn't feel derivative at all. Although this book explores similar themes in a similar setting, Kyrie McCauley's Gothic romantic horror novel is entirely its own thing, laced with an escalating feeling of dread and dark, disturbing imagery.

The characters are intricately-drawn, and McCauley knows how to write children well -- something not every author can do. Thea and Wren's antics brought a smile to my face several times. I also loved her descriptions of Marin's anxiety, which felt authentic and relatable. And there's excellent LGBTQ+ representation.

There are several scenes in this book that are viscerally frightening, relayed in prose that reads as lyrical and lovely even when it is describing the most grisly things. The pacing and plotting is perfect, with twists that caught me by surprise and reveals executed at just the right moment. Beyond its scares, this is also a book that deals effectively with serious themes like grieving (for both the living at the dead), mental health issues, generational trauma, and the complexities of family dynamics. It's just a really well done book and the kind of story with a world I wanted to inhabit, despite its horrors.

4.5 stars. Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.

Final Rating: 4.5 stars

If you like creepy kids, a gothic house, undead animals, and twists, then this is definitely for you! I loved how creepy this was and the reveals we got about the Lovelace family were really well done. The pacing was great, I flew through this book in two days which is pretty fast for me! I wasn’t totally convinced by the romance between Evie and Marin, since it felt like this story took place over the course of a few weeks and them falling in love seemed a bit rushed to me. My only negative is that the younger girls didn’t feel like they were young enough to need a babysitter, the way they spoke and interpreted things was very mature and maybe kids these days are, but it didn’t seem super realistic. But obviously looking at my rating, that didn’t impact my enjoyment too much. Overall, this was a fun and deliciously creepy book and I definitely recommend it!

4⭐️

Following the death of her mother, Marin Blythe receives an invitation from Alice Lovelace to take on a nanny role for her two young daughters. Alice, a well known horror writer, was a childhood friend of Marin’s mother, so the invitation is bit bittersweet.

When Marin arrives at Lovelace House, things are odd. Thea regularly holds funerals for her dolls. Wren goes out of her way to prank Marin so she’ll leave. Dead birds keep appearing in Marin’s room and everyone seems to have a secret. Marin find herself drawn to Evie, the oldest, most withdrawn daughter who is also wrapped in her own grief. As more odd things happen, Marin must figure out the secrets of Lovelace House before she gets lost in the secrets.

I really liked this. If gave major Haunting of Bly Manor meets The Shinning vibes with maybe a bit of Pet Semetery and I loved all the twists and turns. Creepy kids? Check. Zombie deer? Check. Weird, gothic house? Check.

I loved how this book looked at grief and how it effects everyone differently. Marin’s anxiety intensified, Alice was filled with anger, and Evie was content not feeling anything at all. Sometimes you have to overcoming grief doesn’t mean forgetting it happened but accepting it and the characters displayed that beautifully.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperColins for providing this ARC to me!

I loved this book! At the beginning, it gave me Ruth Ware "The Turn of the Key" vibes, but ended up being so much more! Read this book if you love: creepy houses, paranormal/necromancy vibes, WLW relationships, and weird family history. Definitely recommend this one, especially around spooky season!

Unfortunately I was not able to make it through this book much. I really tried to connect to the characters and the situation but it was really hard to hold my interest.

Oh, Kyrie McCauley, you had me at gothic lesbian romance.

As with most gothic novels, the story starts with an impoverished orphan girl named Marin Blythe. Having recently lost her mother in a train crash, Marin is feeling lost and overcome by her anxiety. That’s when a distant friend of her mother’s, Alice Lovelace, reaches out and offers to give her a home in exchange for Marin nannying her two younger daughters, Wren and Thea.

Alice Lovelace is a reclusive horror author who lives in the middle of nowhere with her daughters in a stately manor home that's slowly sinking into the sea. The house holds many secrets, and even has its own cemetery where generations of Lovelaces have been buried and the youngest daughter, Thea, hold funerals for her dolls. All that’s missing from the desolate home is a forbidden wing (which Marin even cracks a joke about). Despite being set in the presentday, Lovelace house feels trapped in the past due to the lack of electronics and cell signal, making Marin feel all the more isolated. Worst still, Wren and Thea have a penchant for cruel pranks, like leaving the braided hair of their dead ancestors in Marin’s bed.

All the Dead Lie Down is a very pretty book and a love letter to classic Gothic romances. It’s as dark and delicate as the bird skeletons Alice Lovelace keeps around the house. But in some ways the book feels very paint-by-numbers, like McCauley was working off a gothic checklist. It definitely makes the novel atmospheric, but not particularly unique. However, since the book is aimed at young adults who may not yet be familiar with Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Turn of the Screw, etc. All the Dead Lie Down is an entertaining and accessible introduction to gothic fiction.

The romance between Marin and Alice’s eldest daughter, Evie, is lovely and sweet. Both girls are approach each other hesitantly, stealing secret kisses in the garden and passing secret notes tied up with ribbon. The plot takes a while to get to the exciting bits, but I didn’t mind the wait, as it gives the reader time to enjoy the suspense and become familiar with the characters and house (arguably a character itself), and to enjoy the gloomy atmosphere. Overall, a cozy and creepy read perfect for a rainy day with a hot cup of tea.